PANDEM-2 Workforce capacity tool for public health emergency preparedness

This tool was developed as a part of PANDEM-2 project (EU Horizon project "Pandemic Preparedness and Response") in 2023. The tool is specifically targeted to National Public Health Institutes and may also be applied to Public Health agencies at the subnational level.

The tool consists of two sets of indicators:

1) Quantitative indicators meant for the assessment of the capacity of workforce (in full-time equivalents, FTE) that is available for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (A) under normal circumstances, and (B) the surge capacity available during a PHE situation.

2) Qualitative indicators meant for the assessment of the competencies, i.e. functions relevant for PHEP that the staff is together able to perform. The performance in these indicators is first assessed through a 7-point scale. Thereafter, the users will be able to rate the ways in which the performance may be improved (1. training the current PHEP staff performing the function, 2. training other staff from the organisation to perform the function and 3. recruiting new staff).

The qualitative indicators in the tool are based on the ECDC competency framework Public health emergency preparedness: Core competencies for EU Member States (2017)*. Additionally, indicators have been derived from other resources to category 6 (cross-cutting competencies**) and 5.5 (Infodemiology and infodemic management***).

* Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/public-health-emergency-preparedness-core-competencies-eu-member-states

** Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, 2021: Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Available at: https://www.phf.org/resourcestools/pages/core_public_health_competencies.aspx and de Beaumont Foundation, 2021: Adapting and Aligning Public Health Strategic Skills. Available at: https://debeaumont.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Adapting-and-Aligning-Public-Health-Strategic-Skills.pdf

*** European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2022: Core Competencies in Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology in Europe. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/core-competencies-applied-infectious-disease-epidemiology-europe